The Yates' 2007 Family Vacation, Part II

Read Part I

So, we wake up on Friday morning (at the ungodly hour of 6:30? Does this child not know that we are on the other side of the country, on vacation, and need to sleep another two or three hours??) and we head down around 8:30 to meet Grandpa and Nana for breakfast. We got lucky, Uncle Daniel joined us for breakfast! (He had to stay at the hotel Thursday night - you know, can't see the bride the day of the wedding, before the wedding, etc?)

After breakfast, we headed back up to our room, packed up again and loaded up the bellboy's cart to check out and head on up to our next hotel near the Cascade Locks on the Columbia river, where the wedding was going to be held on Thunder Island with the reception held in the Pavilion. We stayed at the Skamania Lodge on the Washington State side of the Columbia. Let me tell you, this place is beautiful. It's near the Bridge of the Gods (we actually had to cross the Bridge of the Gods to get to WA state) and the sites are just beautiful. We had a River view room which was just beautiful, even with the clouds - oh, did I mention, it rained on and off all day on Friday! Yep, Wedding day! But, come on, we WERE in Portland!

Our view from our hotel room!

Anyway, we had a bit of lunch at the Lodge and then we all went and had a good nap before we had to get up and start getting dressed for the Wedding. Yes, we could have gone sightseeing, we could have gone to the Bonneville Dam and seen the fish ladders and hatcheries to see where the salmon and steelhead start and end their lives on the Columbia. What we did, was sleep - I mean, we had traveled long and hard to get here! Well, what Brock and Leda did was sleep, I apparently couldn't sleep. I was a bit annoyed with the cough, which was getting a little more 'productive'. It didn't seem to be kept at bay much by the cough medicine. And, I was taking some Benedryl to dry everything up a bit, so I think that was keeping me awake.

After a nice nap and doing my nails, we got up and got all spiffed up in our Wedding best. Leda looked so cute in her dress! We bought a white sweater for her to wear due to the fact that it was just a little chillier than a late June night on the East Coast! Aunt Claire and Uncle Bobby and Sarah and Scott stopped by our hotel to get changed and we all headed over to Cascade Locks and Thunder Island for the Wedding of the Century!

Leda in her Wedding outfit

The weather, as I mentioned, was overcast, but not raining at the time we got to Thunder Island. We walked over the footbridge to the Island and were greeted by the handsome Groom. We headed over to the ceremony spot which looked out over the Columbia river to the mountains on the other side of the river. It was beautiful, regardless of the weather. We were all seated and the ceremony started. Maggie was beautiful in her ivory dress. The two looked incredibly happy! The Ceremony was short and sweet (and humorous, due to Dan messing up the vows a little!). It did rain just a little bit (a drop here, a drop there) but didn't dampen any spirits at the wedding! After they were pronounced Husband and Wife, the Sternwheeler Columbia Gorge (operated by the Portland Spirit!) blew its horns in congratulations! We milled about a bit as we were served champagne for the walk back across the foot bridge and to the Pavilion for the reception.

Married!

Pronounced Husband and Wife

Leda and the candle
(this candle was lit in memory for Leda's Grandmother Sally, Brock, Daniel and Claire's Mother)

The Yates and The Lillys

First, we took a few pictures with the view! Second, we were also expected to be in some of the family poses for the professional photos. After we had performed our duties, we started out to walk across the bridge. Maggie and Dan had wishing stones for all of us to through into the river with our best wishes for their wedding. Then, onto the Reception!

The reception was fun. The food was good, the dancing was fun, the mingling with friends and family was great.

The Bride and her New Neices and Nephew!
(Yes, we gave Leda her binky during the reception - she was really good, but was starting to get a little tired, so we gave it to her - yes, we are paying for it now - will get into that later on in the saga!)

Sarah, Claire and Leda

The Wedding Cake

The Happy Couple

Leda and Scott Dance the Night Away!

Sometime around 10:30-11:00, Brock, Leda and I and Grandpa and Nana headed home to rest our danced off feet! I spent the night coughing a lot, even with a few drinks in me! ;-) By morning, the chills had set in, and I knew that things were not looking good in my favor when it came to whatever I had. I really wasn't sure if I was going to make the brunch sailing of the Columbia Gorge (the next party in this Wedding of the Century). Stay tuned for Part III!

For more Wedding Pictures Click here!

Read Part III

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